The Mariginal Ice Zone Program

The Office of Naval Research Departmental Research Initiative along with scientists and researchers from around the world have been studying the marginal ice zone, which is the area between declining, unbroken sea ice and the expanding areas of open water in the Arctic.

The dramatic changes in Arctic sea ice that have occurred in recent time led to the formation of the 'Marginal Ice Zone Program' (MIZ).

The short video below explains what the program is about and it's goals. Video courtesy of You Tube.

This initiative employs an integrated program of observations and numerical simulations to investigate ice–ocean–atmosphere dynamics in and around the marginal ice zone in the Beaufort Sea.

Some of the goals of the program are to improve interpretations of satellite imagery and improve numerical models, which would make seasonal forecasts more accurate.

Schematic of the WHOI Ice-Tethered Profiler system (left), the profiler with velocity sensor (ITP-V) prior to deployment (upper right), and the surface expression (lower right). Image courtesy of the Office of Naval Research Departmental Research Initiative and the University of Washington.

Current location in the Beaufort Sea (colored areas) of the different arrays of ice-based instrumentation, floats, drifters, and gliders that are used to obtain data in the program.

program strategy